Gardening & Health

[Anchor Lead]

A study has shown that tending vegetable gardens can be a great benefit to older people’s health. The outdoor activity has proven to not only alleviate depression, but also lower cholesterol levels and body fat percentage.

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Several senior citizens water and till the earth of a vegetable garden set up on the rooftop. Most of them are retired or have lost their spouses. They've come to work at this rooftop garden after suffering from depression and loneliness. It's evident that they've been transformed since taking part in this program.

[Soundbite] Jeong Cheol-yeong(Local Senior Citizen) : "It's good to see them grow well with the fertilizer. We also enjoy closer relationships."

The Rural Development Administration conducted a study on the lifestyle changes among 20 elderly people who tended vegetable gardens for the past six months. The depression index of senior citizens who were severely depressed before participating in gardening was substantially lowered to a normal level. Their physical health has greatly improved as well. Their cholesterol levels, which can cause adulthood diseases, were lowered by 5% and body fat dropped by 2%.

[Soundbite] Kwon Deok-eulyong(Local Senior Citizen) : "I can feel that I've been healed a lot. I very much enjoyed the moments when I tended to each plant and talked to them."

The study has shown that growing crops together and sharing them with neighbors has enhanced the senior citizens' physical and mental health.

[Soundbite] Choi Jeong-sin(Researcher, RDA) : "These activities have shown positive effects in various areas, such as alleviating loneliness and depression."

As the benefits of tending vegetable gardens together have become evident, the Rural Development Administration plans to develop a horticultural healing program for elderly city-dwellers and distribute the program to community groups and public health centers across the nation.